Daniel
10: 10-12
10 A hand touched me
and set me trembling on my hands and knees.
11 He said, “Daniel,
you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak
to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this
to me, I stood up trembling.
12 Then he continued,
“Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain
understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard,
and I have come in response to them.
- Today we’re going to talk about
worship.
- It is only when men begin to worship
that they begin to understand God's will and God's plan.
- The angel addressed Daniel by name and
told him that he was greatly loved in heaven.
- I want to tell you today that if you
understand Daniel's principle and if you have the right attitude before the
Lord, the very first day that you apply your heart with humbleness to
understand God's plan answers will be sent from heaven.
- The angel told Daniel! "I have
come because of your words" but there was an attitude of worship in the
heart of Daniel that had this messenger deployed from God's armies down to Earth
with an answer from The Lord.
- Words without worship will not trigger
heavenly answers. Your heart must be in right standing with God in order to
take the words of your prayers to the Holy of Holies.
THE ILLUSTRATION
A. WE CAN DESCRIBE WORSHIP
B. You Were Planned
For God’s Pleasure
C. The
Heart Of Worship Is Surrender
D. Worship Is Becoming God’s
Friend (James 2:21–23).
A. WE CAN DESCRIBE WORSHIP:
1. Worship is not just music or a style
of music. Many people confuse worship with music or singing the “slow songs.”
Worship, however, is a lifestyle of bringing pleasure to God, whether it is by
singing, praising, or even working as you commune with Him. If you limit
worship to where you are, the minute you leave that place of worship you will
leave your attitude of worship behind like a crumpled-up church bulletin.
2. Worship is not for your benefit.
Worship is not intended just for what you can get out of it or how good it can
make you feel. The intent of worship is for God to receive pleasure from your
passion and commitment to Him.
3. Worship is not a part of your
life—it is your life. Every step and every activity of your life should involve
worship. It doesn’t matter whether you’re in the kitchen, at work, on the road,
or in the prayer room. Worship should be the focus of all your life.
- When circumstances seem to be slipping
in the wrong direction, remember that worship is the buffer between
"worse" and "worst".
B. You Were Planned
For God’s Pleasure.
“You created everything, and it is for
your pleasure that they exist and were created” (Revelation 4:11)
1. The first purpose God gave you is to
bring Him pleasure. He made you with the idea of enjoying you: your
personality, your ideas, your appearance, and everything unique about you.
2. When you realize that God takes
pleasure in you, you realize that you are significant. You don’t have to
impress anyone, including God. He loves you and greatly desires to be with you.
3. We call this pleasure that we bring
to God “worship.” Jesus said, “The Father is looking for anyone who will
worship Him that way”
John 4:23 "But the hour is coming, and
is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and
truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him."
C. The
Heart Of Worship Is Surrender
Romans 12:1 "I appeal to you therefore,
brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."
1. Paul, in speaking to the brethren,
said, “Offer your bodies as living
sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.”
Worship, according to the Bible, is the surrender of your will for God’s
pleasure.
2. Beginning with Abel’s and Noah’s
sacrifices, God “smelled” the aroma of a surrendered victim. Imagine His great
pleasure when He saw Abraham’s willingness to surrender his son, Isaac. The
ultimate sacrifice, Jesus’ offering on the cross, was a “sweet-smelling savor”
to God (Eph. 5:2 ).
3.
Fear, pride, and confusion are the three barriers that block your ability to
surrender: fear to trust God’s control, pride to surrender your will, and
confusion to submit to God’s order. When you overcome these barriers and
surrender to God, that is called “going to the cross.”
D. Worship Is Becoming God’s
Friend (James 2:21–23):
1.
Abraham’s obedience to God made him the friend of God. You can choose the level
of friendship and closeness you have with God through your level of drawing
near to Him in worship (James 4:8).
2.
Jesus called His disciples “friends” (John 15:14). A friend of God obeys His
will and is open, transparent, and honest with God about his failures and
needs.
3.
Moses spoke to God “face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (Ex. 33:11
NIV). Moses exemplifies a man of worship, passion, and closeness with God. The
keys to a life of worship can be found in Moses’ experience on Mount Sinai.
Tommy
Tenney writes in God Catchers, "Your problems aren’t too big—perhaps your
worship is too small."